The Duchess Takes a Lover

Ladies of Seduction, Book 1

A duchess with nothing to lose . . .

After a disastrous wedding night followed by eighteen months of isolation at her husband's country estate, the Duchess of Southwick has grown tired of being lonely. There's only so many books a person can read, and Mara has read most of them twice. So she's made a decision. For the first time since her wedding, she's traveling to London. And while she's there, this meek, shy mouse of a wallflower who has never met a shade of beige she didn't like will do the unthinkable.

Mara Buxton, Duchess of Southwick, is going to take a lover.

A duke with everything to gain . . .

When Ambrose hears the rumors swirling about his wife, his initial reaction is scornful amusement. Mara, step out on him? Absurd. While a fiery spark of attraction first drew them together, it was extinguished long ago. The Duchess of Southwick, for all her beauty, is cold as ice, and the only thing she has a chance of inviting into her bed is snow. But when Ambrose discovers that she really does intend to have an affair, his amusement turns to incredulity and jealousy. Mara is his wife, dammit.

If anyone is going to make her burn with passion . . . it's him.

Contains mature themes.

©2024 Jillian Eaton (P)2024 Tantor

it was ok.

I felt like something was missing. there should have been more I feel. At the end I felt I was left hanging.

Not much plot, mainly medium 🌶️

This book is light on plot and mainly involves the couple having spicy times. It’s not super explicit, but definitely not G rated either. I’d say medium spice. (The language is romance novel language, not porn language.)
The narrator does an excellent job, as she always does!

passion and heart

excellent listen with the always wonderful Heather Wilds. content warning for physical abuse of children by parents, domestic violence, off-page animal death. Mostly though it's a lovely story of passionate people finding each other, with a little help.

Short and very sweet

I enjoyed this book. Not overly long and the plot was incredibly simple, but I liked it. I do wish Mara and her husband were more communicative (think typical romance trope times a hundred), as their relationship would feel much more solid if they knew the least bit about each other's pasts, but... Alas, secrets, secrets.

Even still, it was a nice story to listen while spring cleaning. The heat level was maybe a 3 of 5 with some spiciness, but not long passages of overly detailed hanky panky, which I appreciated.

Not one of my favorites

Didn’t like the interwoven back story with the current story that was all the way through. Also don’t care for this narrator who has a different syntax, although I know reviewers who love her. Maybe just me.